Employers fail to meet graduate target

A third of organisations experienced difficulty recruiting graduates during
the autumn, despite the economic downturn following 11 September.

The Recruitment Confidence Index shows that more than 40 per cent of
recruiters say their organisations are unable to meet last year’s target in
full.

But 23 per cent of employers have not enlisted a single graduate towards
their intended quota since the beginning of September.

Nearly a fifth of the companies that did offer employment on graduate
schemes are not happy with the calibre of their new staff.

Only 3 per cent of respondents report that their new intake exceeded
expectations.

Professor Shaun Tyson, of Cranfield School of Management, said these
findings reflect concerns among employers that graduate recruits lack business
awareness, interpersonal skills and communication skills.

"Companies are looking for young graduates to display more engagement
with their work. Attracting and retaining graduates is as much about making a
match with their lifestyle aspirations and values as it is about finding
specific skills and intelligence," he said.

Only 12 per cent of the 470 organisations surveyed say they have reduced
their target numbers in the past year. Nine per cent of firms have decided not
to recruit graduates this year.